Sin makes a mess of our lives. And many times we are miserable about the consequences of our sinful choices: a broken relationship, financial cost, punishment for bad behavior, loss of respect. But sorrow over consequences isn’t necessarily godly sorrow.
Worldly sorrow may involve emotional distress, fear, anger, and even self-abasement. But its goal is the removal of consequences. Just as it did with Saul in today’s reading, it can, actually, lead to disqualification instead of restoration.
Godly sorrow, on the other hand, involves something else. So, how can we know the difference?
False religion and prosperity can both have an intoxicating effect on men and women.
In its extreme, false religion enables people to become suicide bombers, terrorists, and even radical defenders of abortion or gay rights. But there are other forms of false religion that can be just as dangerous to us personally.
Prosperity, on the other hand, can lull people into a materialistic stupor that renders them blind to what’s really important.
Also …
When we experience sorrow over sin, is it worldly sorrow or godly sorrow? This is important to understand because one leads to life and the other to death. And, finally, what do we have in common with lions, greyhounds, goats, and kings?
